NCJ Number
53557
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
TO GAUGE THE EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY ON BEHAVIOR, 60 DEVIANTS ADMITTED TO THE ATASCADERO STATE HOSPITAL IN CALIFORNIA WERE INTERVIEWED, ALONG WITH A CONTROL SAMPLE OF 133 CAUCASIAN MALES FROM LOS ANGELES.
Abstract
A TRAINED INTERVIEWER SPENT 2 HOURS WITH EACH SUBJECT, QUESTIONING HIM ON 276 ITEMS COVERING DEMOGRAPHICS, SEX ATTITUDES, SEX HISTORY, FANTASIES, AND EXPOSURE AND REACTION TO PORNOGRAPHIC BOOKS, PHOTOGRAPHS, MOVIES, AND LIVE SHOWS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE FEAR THAT INCREASING EXPOSURE TO EROTIC MATERIALS WILL TWIST YOUNG MINDS, LEAD TO DEPRAVITY, AND ENCOURAGE SEX CRIMES IS GROUNDLESS AND THAT SOME EXPOSURE TO PORNOGRAPHY MAY BE SALUTARY. FOR EXAMPLE, THE RAPISTS IN THE PATIENT SAMPLE HAD SEEN LESS PORNOGRAPHY AS TEENAGERS THAN A COMPARABLE FACTION OF THE CONTROLS. THE SAME WAS TRUE FOR CHILD MOLESTERS. IN FACT, THE NORMAL ADULTS IN THE SAMPLE REPORTED MORE EXPERIENCE WITH PORNOGRAPHY AS TEENAGERS THEN ANY DEVIANT GROUP REPRESENTED WITHIN THE PATIENT SAMPLE; AS ADULTS, THEY CONTINUE TO SEE MORE EROTICA THAN SEX OFFENDERS. IN ALL THE GROUPS, MASTURBATION HAD BEEN THE MOST COMMON ADOLESCENT RESPONSE TO PORNOGRAPHY. BOTH DEVIANTS AND PORNOGRAPHY USERS SAID THAT, AS ADULTS, THEY CONTINUE TO MASTURBATE WHEN STIMULATED BY EROTICA. THE NORMAL GROUP, HOWEVER, REPORTED THAT HETEROSEXUAL ACTIVITY IS THEIR MOST COMMON RELEASE WHEN AROUSED BY PORNOGRAPHY. IN GENERAL, IT WAS FOUND THAT PORNOGRAPHY CANNOT BE SHOWN TO TRIGGER ANY IDENTIFIABLE, SPECIFIC FORM OF SEXUAL DEVIANCE. FAMILY BACKGROUND AND CURRENT ATTITUDES SEEM MORE LIKELY DETERMINANTS. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE INCLUDED. NO REFERENCES ARE CITED. (KBL)